Nonalcoholic mulled wine from grape juice: black tea adds tannins, no sugar needed

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1. Brew strong tea

   5 min

   Bring 300 ml water to a boil, remove from the heat, and add 2 black tea bags. Steep for 4 minutes, then remove the tea bags. Steeping longer would make the drink bitter.

2. Prepare the fruit

   5 min

   Wash the orange in warm water and cut it into thin slices, leaving the peel on. Thinly slice the ginger and squeeze the juice from half a lemon.

3. Heat with the spices

   15 min

   Pour the grape juice and tea into a saucepan. Add the orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and ginger. Warm over low heat until the first bubbles appear on the surface. Cover and let steep over the lowest heat for 10 minutes. Do not let the drink boil, as boiling would drive off the grape juice's fruity aroma.

4. Finish and serve

   Stir in the lemon juice to balance the sweetness of the grapes, then taste. Strain the drink into mugs and add an orange slice from the saucepan to each one. Let it cool slightly before serving to children.

Tip: For younger children, use caffeine-free rooibos or fruit tea instead of black tea. Choose 100% grape juice; nectar with added sugar would be too sweet.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Voňavé nealko varené víno z hroznovej šťavy: trpkosť vína mu dá čierny čaj a cukor nepotrebuje